


Finding Home Again

by spikessweetgirl75



Category: General Hospital (TV 1963)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-18
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:35:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27618464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spikessweetgirl75/pseuds/spikessweetgirl75
Summary: With Nikolas's return from the dead causing havoc in her family, plus her concern over her grandchildren as a mob war ramps up, Laura sends for Lucky to come home. Once home, Elizabeth sends him on another mission. Find her sister and bring her home. Might eventually turn into a Lucky/Hayden
Relationships: Robert "Franco" Frank/Elizabeth Webber, Trina Robinson/Cameron Webber, lucky spencer/ Hayden Barnes
Kudos: 7





	1. Chapter 1

Laura Collins sat at her desk, her eyes glued to the framed picture of the grandkids she had through Lucky. Cameron, Jake, and Aiden. Only Aiden was biological, but that didn't matter to her. Lucky had adopted and loved Cameron and Jake as if they were his own, so that made all three of them her grandchildren. The past few days had been horrifying ones. Cameron getting kidnapped for the second time that year and the mob war that was flaring up...it worried her and not only because she was the mayor of Port Charles. As a mother and grandmother, she worried about the safety of her family. Not for the first time, she wished that her youngest son would come home and take care of his children and look out for the people he loved. She had tried to be understanding of why Lucky felt the need to stay away, but that understanding had worn thin. She liked Franco. He was great with the boys and they loved him, but Lucky should be here too. He'd never forgive himself if something happened to the boys that he could have prevented.

Sighing, she made up her mind. Nikolas had come home and now, it was time for Lucky to do the same. Picking up her cellphone, she found the number she was looking for and hoped that Lucky would listen this time and rejoin his family in Port Charles.

Lucky Spencer had just come in from his morning run when his cellphone went off for the first time that morning. Frowning, he looked at the ID. That was strange. He could have sworn that he had already had the weekly call from his mother and she had never called this early before.

"Hey mom," Lucky greeted, hoping that whatever news this was wasn't too terrible. Nikolas's return from the dead was shocking enough as it was.

"Lucky, I am so glad that you answered. We need to talk. I should have said this in my last call, but...well the situation building here wasn't as concerning then as it is now," Laura sighed.

"What did Nikolas do now? I know that what he did was bad, but mom...you kind of did the same thing to him, remember?"

Laura rolled her eyes and shook her head. "This is not about your brother. This is about you. You need to come home, Lucky. As soon as possible."

"Why? What's going on? Is it the kids? Are they okay? Aiden was here for Christmas. He seemed alright and..."

"Cameron was kidnapped. Again. This time by this new mob boss in town..."

"What?!"

"He's fine now. Franco rescued him the first time, which you probably already know, and this last time, Jason did the honors."

"How did he get kidnapped again? Where is Elizabeth? Is she okay? I thought you said that Franco was a good man now...I mean..."

"Franco is great with the kids! What happened to Cameron wasn't his fault. Cam was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. My point here is that the kids need you, Lucky. Yes they have Franco and they love Franco and he loves them. But they also need and love you. You need to be here for them. Not to mention that the rest of your family could use your support as well."

"Mom," Lucky sighed, rubbing his eyes, trying to fight back against a rising headache. "I doubt very much that the boys need a drug-addicted drunk in their lives. They're better off without me."

"Lucky...Jason Morgan is a mobster's right-hand man, yet Jake adores him and needs him. Franco is a former serial killer, yet he's here and is great with the boys. Both of those men have worse skeletons in their closets than you do, but they're not letting that keep them from being what the boys need! You shouldn't let your demons do so either! For goodness sake, think of what Luke's absence in your life had done to you! Do you really want to put those boys through the same?!"

Lucky winced at that. He loved his father, despite his flaws, but Luke had not been a very good father at all. In fact, Lucky had strived to be nothing like the man all of his life...or at least up til now. His father had left him when he had needed him the most and now here he was, doing the same to his own boys!

"The boys aren't the only ones that need you, Lucky. Nikolas and Lulu are arguing. Lulu can't forgive Nikolas for being why Charlotte jumped off the pier..."

"WHAT?!"

"And not to mention that Spencer has pulled a you, and has basically disowned your brother..."

"Okay, I get it. A lot is going on, but mom...how is my being there going to help anything? "

"Don't you see it? You can be the bridge that will reconnect us back together. Who better than to talk to Spencer about reconnecting with his father? Who better to talk to Lulu about forgiveness? Hmm?"

"Both of their situations are different."

"Not really, the way I see it. Like you, Spencer had his father on a pedestal that Nikolas had just fallen off of. He needs someone who understands what that's like...to find out that your father is not the hero that you always made him out to be. You can spare Spencer a lot of pain, Lucky. You know you can. As for Lulu...how many times have you forgiven your brother? Not to mention...how you forgave Luke after what you had thought happened to Jake...a boy that you loved so much...you can get your sister to that place of forgiveness as well. Teach her how to move past the anger of a parent to the forgiveness of a sibling..."

"To be honest, I don't blame Lulu..."

"He's still her brother. I'm too old to deal with feuding siblings, Lucky. I want all of you to get along."

Lucky still didn't feel that returning to Port Charles was a good idea. Something inside him felt that his family, especially the boys, were safer without him there. Then again, with Helena Cassadine now dead and no longer gunning for him...maybe it was safe to return. Maybe the curse he had been under for the past several years had finally been broken.

"Mom, how would I support myself? I turned in my badge, remember?"

"You can get that badge back. Or do something else, you're smart, Lucky. You can figure something out."

"And what of Elizabeth? I don't want to step on any toes. She has a good thing going with Franco and..."

"You and Elizabeth were best friends before anything else. In fact, you were the first real friend she had here. You two had gone through so much together...rebuild that friendship because she can certainly use it. Goodness knows, I love Nikolas, don't get me wrong, but I don't trust him anymore. He's becoming more and more like a Cassadine, plus this marriage with Ava...I feel like he's up to something and I don't trust him to leave Elizabeth alone. She needs a real friend. Someone that we know she can trust."

"You think she can trust me?"

"I think so. Not to mention, the boys would love to have you here. And you can keep an eye on Nikolas."

He had to admit, his mother made some good points and...he really did want to be in the boy's lives. The distance he felt between himself and Aiden this past Christmas had hurt and he knew that it was his own fault. If he didn't return soon, he'll lose them. He might have already lost Cameron…

"Alright...give me a week and I'll be on my way."

"Thank god..."'

"And mom...thank you. I think I may have needed this call."

Laura's warm smile was in her voice. "Lucky, we are your family and we love you so much. Never feel that you don't have a place here. You always will."

"I'm just scared, I guess. I've been scared for the past seven or eight years...I just...I don't want what happened to Siobhan to happen again, you know?"

"Oh Lucky, we had talked about that."

"I know. My head says I'm being silly...but my heart says something else."

"Lucky...you've mourned her for long enough. You've lived your life in Ireland as a tribute to her, I understand. But it's time to move on. It's time to come home and live your own life again. You loved Siobhan, I understand. But you have people who are alive and love you and need you in their lives, not in Ireland mourning a lost love. It's not healthy and you know that she wouldn't want that for you."

Lucky nodded, knowing that his mother's words were right. He had been holding on to Siobhan for way too long. It was time to live again. "You're right. It's time. It's just...hard."

"I know, baby. Which is another reason for you to come home. Moving on won't be easy staying over in Ireland, where everything must remind you of her."

"Okay...well expect me sometime next week. I have to tie up loose ends here."

"Okay. I look forward to seeing you. Maybe I can even arrange a welcome home party."

Lucky winced and shook his head. "That won't be necessary. Let's make this as quiet and painless as possible."

"Of course. I love you. We'll see you soon."

"Bye mom," Lucky hung up and took a deep breath. He couldn't believe what he had just agreed to do. Port Charles was the home of all of his demons, but it was also where his family was, so he'll return once again and hopefully this time, make it a place he can call home, once and for all.


	2. Chapter 2

It was late afternoon when Lucky Spencer returned to Port Charles. It was a silent arrival. He made no calls to anyone, not to Elizabeth, not to Lulu, and not to his beloved mother Laura. He just needed to take a few hours to himself and reacquaint himself with the town he had once called home and was hoping to call home again.

For two hours he walked the streets, visiting different landmarks that meant something to him, from his childhood home to the boxcar where he and Elizabeth spent their troubled youth, hiding from the world. He had to smile at the faded paintings on the walls. He remembered how pleased he had been with Elizabeth's efforts to make the place into a home. It was the place that had truly been theirs, that had remained unspoiled by the toxicity that their relationship had turned into. It made him sad to think of how things had turned so wrong with them, but despite it all, he still cared a great deal about Elizabeth. He always would. They may not be together anymore, but she was always going to be family. After all, before they were lovers, they had been best friends. Plus she was the mother of his kids.

After the boxcar, he found himself on the docks. The docks were another place that he felt most at home. He had stood there numerous times, staring out at Wyndemere, contemplating his life, or what steps to take next in solving a problem. The quiet he usually found there had been something that had soothed his troubles plenty of times.

Staring out at Wyndemere, Lucky's mind turned to his brother Nikolas. He sighed deeply and shook his head, not knowing what to think or how to feel about his brother. According to their mother, Nikolas was beginning to behave like a Cassadine. What his mother didn't know was that Nikolas had always had that darkness in him and had let it out more and more as he got older. He guessed now it was so much, now everyone was taking notice. Maybe Nikolas should be his first visit. Get a sense of just how dark Nikolas was now a days.

Lucky had to say, he was concerned. The Nikolas he had grown to know and love as his brother had once put up such a fight against the darkness he had inherited from his father. He had done everything possible to be as different from the rest of the Cassadines as possible. It was the death of Emily that had sent Nikolas spiraling, nearly giving up any attempts to hold onto the light that he had inherited from their mother. Lucky believed that it was the love of his mother and siblings and son that kept Nikolas from losing to the darkness altogether. But how tight were those familial binds? Could they somehow be strengthened or was his brother too far gone? Lucky was almost afraid to find out the answer to that question.

But there was no use avoiding the things he feared. That's how he had gotten addicted to drugs, trying to avoid anything and everything that would cause him even the slightest discomfort. It was probably best to go see Nikolas now before any more time had passed. Taking a deep breath, he headed for the launch, when a voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Lucky?"

He turned and froze to see Elizabeth and the boys walking up with a man who must be Franco. He hadn't been planning to see them today, but now that they right there in front of him, he found himself speechless. Elizabeth was just as beautiful as she had been the day he had left Port Charles for good. Jake was a lot taller than he had been when he saw him. Cameron was nearly a grown man now and Aiden, well he seemed to have grown another inch since Christmas.

"Elizabeth...hello," He nervously smiled, trying not to gawk at how much and how quickly the boys had changed since his departure from Port Charles. His mother was right. He should never have left. He had missed so much.

"Daddy!" Aiden broke away from the group and ran to Lucky, wrapping his arms around him. Jake smiled but didn't move and Cameron just stared, looking not pleased to see him, which didn't surprise Lucky. He inwardly winced, feeling like a hypocrite. He had been so angry at his own father for disappearing from his life constantly, and what does he do? Does the exact thing to the boys, but worse, because he hadn't even made regular visits, thinking that he was bad for them. It was his mother, Lulu, and Elizabeth that kept him even a distant figure in the boy's lives. He didn't understand it really and he didn't expect teenage Cameron to understand either.

"We didn't know you were going to be in town," Elizabeth watched the reunion between Lucky and Aiden, not knowing how to feel about the return of her ex. She had once been so in love with Lucky Spencer. She had thought him the love of her life and maybe on some level, he still was, but so much had happened between them. Too much and his disappearing from all their lives like he had...it hurt and she had been angry with him for a good long time. Now seeing him back, after the return of his brother, who she was still furious with, she just couldn't feel glad to see him. She couldn't help but think what now? Was the world trying to ruin her life by bringing back her ex-boyfriends?

"Um, I haven't been here for long. I was going to stop by once I saw Nikolas. See if it's really him..."

"Oh it is. He's alive and well. Maybe not in his right mind, but that's not for me to judge I suppose," Elizabeth sighed, folding her arms as she took him in. He looked the same as when she had seen him last, but this time he looked healthier. No sign of the tortured drug addict he had once been or the angry ex. "You look good. Happy. That's good for the boys."

"I can't believe how much they've grown. So much has changed," Lucky sighed, again feeling guilty.

"Well, kids do that. Grow and change. I sent you pictures. I take it that Laura has as well."

Lucky nodded. "I've kept each and everyone."

"They've missed you. It's good that you're home. You are staying, right? This is not just some quick run through and you've disappeared again?"

"I'm back for good. I promise. I loved Ireland, but I should have come back a long time ago. I'm sorry that I hadn't."

"You can come to dinner! Momma said I can cook something! We can make that cake we made in Ireland daddy!" Aiden happily suggested.

"You baked a cake?" Elizabeth arched a brow, surprised.

Lucky shrugged. "Well, I asked Aiden what he wanted to do. He wanted to bake, so we baked."

Elizabeth just smirked and shook her head. "See. You are a good dad when you're here. I don't understand why...look, this is not the time and place. You have to see Nikolas and we're on the way to Kelly's for dinner. But yeah. Come by the day after tomorrow for dinner. Give me time to prepare."

Lucky simply nodded and hugged Aiden one last time. "I'll see you soon, buddy."

Lucky watched them leave with a heavy heart. Once upon a time, that could have been him in Franco's place. If only he hadn't let his inner demons get the best of him. If only he could have been what the boys needed all this time...but that was the past. Time has gone by. He could only concentrate on the future. He couldn't get back those years, but he could make the future a better one by being here from now on. No more leaving, no matter how insecure he felt about his abilities as a father.

Looking at Cassadine island, once again, he couldn't help but feel a little angry. Those insecurities, the drug use, the infidelities on both their parts...they wouldn't have happened if the Cassadines had just left him alone. It had all began when Helena Cassadine decided to snatch him away from the people he loved. He had never been the same since then and it had taken all these years to accept that the Lucky before Helena was gone for good. That he still had to pick up the pieces and put it together again.

But finally he had. In Ireland, he had come to terms with all of it and had discovered the Lucky he was now and now felt more able to handle real-life responsibilities without the addiction threatening to take over again or the need to prove anything to his father or anyone else. The only people he had to prove anything to were those boys. He had to prove to them that he was here now and was not going anywhere this time. That he was sorry for his disappearance and that he was indeed going to make it up to them somehow. Starting now.

But first, he had a back from the dead brother to see.


	3. Chapter 3

Lucky shivered as he watched the imposing form of Wyndemere grow closer and closer as the launch made its way through the murky water. He hadn't seen the dark castle in years, but it still was as eerie now as it had been when he was a teenager all those years ago. Some things never changed.

"Here we are. Dracula's castle," Lucky mumbled to himself, going by what his father had called the house numerous times.

"Sir?" the launch captain frowned.

"Nothing," Lucky cleared his throat and remained quiet for the rest of the ride.

Once on solid ground, Lucky made his way up to the front door and rang the bell, not knowing who to expect. Another butler? Nikolas? It was going to be an interesting time, that was for sure.

It was a tall elderly man that Lucky didn't recognize that answered the door.

"May I help you, sir?" The butler eyed Lucky nonchalantly as if he was used to people just showing up unannounced. Lucky didn't know if his brother enjoyed a lot of unannounced visits, but it made him feel better that the butler didn't look suspicious of him or anything.

"Yes. I'm here to talk to Nikolas. Tell him that his brother is here to see him."

The butler stepped back, allowing Lucky entrance into the foyer. "Please wait here, sir. I will inform Master Nikolas of your presence."

Lucky tried hard to resist rolling his eyes. He always found this formality that all of the Cassadine butlers carried rather annoying, but it was all part of the machine that made the Cassadine estate. Lucky didn't have to get used to it, thankfully, but he did have to put up with it if he wanted to see his brother.

He stood in the foyer, looking around, noticing the changes made to the décor or rather the non-changes. Not surprising, Wyndemere was still as dark and dire as ever. It seemed like Valentine Cassadine hadn't changed that at all. It was a little disappointing. He kind of hoped that the presence of a child would have lightened things up some. Then again, Spencer had spent a good amount of his childhood here and Nikolas kept it just as his Uncle Stephan liked it.

Footsteps brought Lucky out of his thoughts. He looked towards the door that leads deeper into Wyndemere to see Nikolas walking ahead of the butler, indeed very much alive. He looked older, even a little darker, but it was still his brother. Lucky didn't know what to do. Yell at Nikolas for faking his death and for once again causing their mother to mourn the "death" of one of her children, or to hug him and welcome him home? Make him promise never to do such a thing again?

"Lucky. You've come home."

"And you're alive."

"I am."

Lucky slowly approached his brother, still conflicted. Nikolas's death had been another reason to avoid Port Charles. Their relationship had never fully recovered from the affair with Elizabeth and then the question of Aiden's paternity. Sure, the brothers still loved each other and had forgiven all hurts and grievances, but the damage had been done and the closeness the two had once shared was all but gone. That didn't mean that Lucky hadn't mourned his brother. He had. So much that he couldn't bring himself to return to the town that had seen so much strife between the pair. There were good memories, but there were also bad ones that Lucky had wanted to avoid at all costs. He wanted nothing but kind thoughts of his brother. Now, here his brother was. Alive and well and not looking very apologetic for his duplicity.

"I don't know if I should hug you or punch you right now," Lucky confessed, deciding to remain brutally honest. That was one thing that he and Nikolas always were with one another...well all except for the time with Elizabeth…

"I much rather a hug," Nikolas smirked, steeling himself for whatever was to come.

Lucky paused, and then placed a hand on Nikolas's shoulder and gave it a good squeeze as if testing his solidness as if he was making sure that Nikolas was really there and not some ghost haunting the halls of Wyndemere. "Why? Why did you do this to us, man? Mom...you know how she is about us. You could have caused another mental break. Do you know that? You were there when everyone thought I was dead! You saw what that did to her! How could you even consider faking your death and putting her through that again?"

Nikolas bowed his head, not for the first time feeling regret for the decisions he had made. Sure, he felt that there had been no choice, that he was keeping everyone safe, but with Lucky pointing out why what he had done was a bad idea...he deserved more than his mother's slap.

"It was worse with you, you know. She had missed out on so much with you...I don't understand how you could do that to her."

"I was protecting her. Valentine would have killed her and everyone I loved if he knew I had survived. I didn't want to stay away. I had no choice."

Lucky sighed and shook his head, not understanding his brother at all. He knew that their relationship had taken on a lot of damage, but on some level, they still trusted each other...at least Lucky did. After all, it was Nikolas he had turned to when he had returned to Port Charles with Siobhan. That should have said something at least. "You could have told me. Contacted me somehow...called my cell. You had my number. I was nowhere near Port Charles! You could have given me a heads up and I could have let mom know you were safe so she wouldn't have to suffer."

Nikolas shook his head, still convinced that he did what had to be done. There had been no other choice. Alerting Lucky of his survival would have placed his brother in danger and the Cassadines had already done enough to Lucky to last a lifetime. Nikolas had refused to expose him to Valentine somehow. "You don't know, Valentine, Lucky. He would have found out somehow. He has his ways..."

"So you trust Jasper Jacks of all people instead?"

"Jax didn't know the whole time. Only when I was ready to reclaim my fortune."

"Well, that makes it so much better!"

Nikolas sighed, exasperated! Why was everyone so angry that he was alive and not dead?! He had expected tears of joy and celebration! Not the angry lectures that he's been getting from everyone! "Is anyone happy that I'm not dead after all?!"

"Of course we're happy, man! We're just pissed because we mourned you! You were one of the reasons I stayed away so long. The memories...my sobriety would have been gone, it nearly was! We loved you man and your death really did a number on us, especially mom and Spencer! So yeah, we're pissed! Just like you were pissed at mom when she faked her death. Remember that?"

Nikolas winced and looked down at his shoes. Of course, he remembered. How could he forget? At that time, he had just begun to trust Laura, just for her to lie to him like that. When he had found out that she was alive...he had been so happy...but then the betrayal had set in and that happiness had turned to anger. "Yeah. I remember. Okay. You have a point. You, mother, Liz, Lulu, and Spencer...you all have a right to your anger. But I did what I did because I was trying to protect all of you. I didn't know what Valentine was capable of and...I felt powerless at the time. I felt that it was the only way I could protect you while I came up with a plan to defeat him."

"It didn't protect Spencer. Mom had to send him away because he wouldn't stop trying to avenge your death."

"I know…."

"It didn't protect Lulu. In fact, I hear that you two are the feuding siblings now. I never thought that I would ever see that happen."

Nikolas winced at the mention of Lulu. He had no idea how to make it right with her. Yes, he understood her anger. He should have known that Charlotte would have tested the secret bodyguard ruse. He should have found a safer way to handle Charlotte. Perhaps by telling the girl the truth and selling his presence as a surprise for Lulu and Laura, but instead he had chosen differently and that choice may have cost him his sister.

"What were you thinking? Telling Lulu's daughter that you were her secret bodyguard? The girl may be part Cassadine, but she's also part Spencer. We Spencers have a habit of wanting to prove what we say."

"I know...it was stupid..."

"Lulu has every right to be pissed!"

"I know!"

"And why in the world is Elizabeth angry with you? She didn't go into detail, but she said that you weren't in your right mind. What is that about?"

Before Nikolas could answer, a woman that Lucky recognized as Ava Jerome, an acquaintance of his mother's, entered the room. She came up and stood next to Nikolas, placing a slender hand on his arm.

"Darling, why didn't you tell me that we had company and why are you keeping him here in the foyer? I am sure he'd be more comfortable in the living room. Excuse my husband, his manners can be quite desirable at times."

Lucky stared at Ava in complete and total shock. This he had not been expecting. "Did you say, your husband?"

"Yes. It was a quick, small affair. Sadly, his mother and sister decided not to attend, but it was still a happy occasion, wasn't it love?" Ava's smile was sickenly sweet, telling Lucky that there was a fakeness there. He did not know what was going on, but he could tell that Nikolas and Ava weren't the normally happily wedded couple.

"Sweetheart. Have you met my brother, Lucky? He's Laura's son with Luke," Nikolas put on an equally fake smile as he introduced his new bride.

Ava blinked in surprise before a more genuine smile appeared. "Oh! Laura has told me so much about you! I absolutely adore your mother! She's so kind and compassionate. She's a great woman!"

Lucky simply smiled in response, not feeling put off any longer. Anyone who had such kind words about his mother couldn't be too bad. But still...a marriage to Nikolas, a seemingly unhappy one at that, it didn't sit well with him.

"I guess a congratulation is in order. I had no idea that Nikolas has gotten himself married and so quickly after his return. Well, what can I say bro? Congratulations," Lucky forced a smile, feeling like shaking his brother rather than congratulating him. He didn't know what it was, but there was something about this marriage that wasn't right. He didn't even know that he wanted to find out what it was! It was too much. He couldn't stand there and fake being happy for his brother when he was anything but. It was best just to go. He had come here to see Nikolas in the flesh and now he has. "I better go let mom know that I'm here."

"She knew you were coming?" Nikolas frowned. "She didn't say anything to me."

"I asked her not to tell anyone. I didn't want any big welcome home party or anything. Lulu doesn't know either."

"But Liz did..."

"I ran into her on the docks. She didn't know either. Don't be mad at mom. She was just doing as I asked."

Nikolas nodded. "Okay. Um...how long are you staying?"

"I'm back for good. Mom made me see that staying away from the boys was doing more harm than good and that my family needed me here. So I'm home for good."

"Well, that's good. I mean, with Elizabeth married to the man that had kidnapped Aiden and pretending to be a happy family..."

Lucky frowned. "Don't do that, man."

"What?"

Lucky just shook his head. Frankly, Lucky didn't know what to think about Franco Baldwin. Yes, he had been concerned when his mother told him that Elizabeth was involved with him, but she had explained about the brain tumor being the reason for Franco's actions. After having his own mind messed with by Helena Cassadine, he knew all too well that when your mind was messed up, you had no real control of your actions. So he wasn't going to judge Franco for the past. Plus, according to his mother, he was great with the boys, and that was what mattered. The boys and that they were well-loved and taken care of and according to Laura, they were.

"I have to go. I'll see you later. Nice to meet you, Ava," Lucky nodded in acknowledgment of his brother's new wife than turned to leave.

"Lucky," Nikolas spoke again, not ready to see his brother leave just yet.

"Yeah?"

"It's good to have you home."

"And it's good to see you're still alive."

"So you're not still mad at me for faking my demise?" Nikolas's voice was hopeful. He just wanted one family member happy that he had come home.

"Just don't do it again," Lucky simply stated before walking out the door, heading for the launch that would take him back to town.


	4. Chapter 4

Laura Collins had just placed a casserole in the oven and had returned to the living room where her grandchildren Charlotte was reading one of her favorite books and Rocco was playing a video game. Lulu was on assignment and Laura had volunteered to watch the kids for the day since all of her mayor duties were taken care of and there was nothing she liked more than spending extra time with her grandchildren.

She was about to sit down with Charlotte and join her in her reading when the doorbell chimed. She glanced at the clock with a small frown, wondering if she had miscalculated the time and Lulu was back, or if there was some meeting that she should have attended and missed. Sighing, she got to her feet and walked over to the door and opened it to Lucky, who greeted her with a wry smile.

"Hello, mom. I'm home," Lucky's smile grew as his mother's face lit up with a bright smile and the warmth that Lucky always found comfort in filled her eyes.

"Lucky, you're home!" Laura wrapped her arms around her son. She pulled away and stepped back to take a better look at him. "And you're much too skinny. You've arrived just in time. I've just put a casserole into the oven."

Lucky laughed as he followed his mother into the house. He stopped when he saw the children who had yet to look up. He instantly knew they were Lulu's. His sister was evident in both of the children, especially the little girl.

"You of course know Rocco and Charlotte from pictures," Laura smiled, as she took Lucky's coat and bag from him.

"Your genes are strong, mother. We all resemble you in some form," Lucky smiled. "Even Nikolas. He's the evil version of you."

"Behave," Laura chuckled, placing a hand against his cheek. It felt so good to have her youngest son back home. She felt like she didn't have to worry so much about him now that he was within her reach.

"Seriously. Lulu has beautiful children. She must be so proud."

"She is. She's a wonderful mother, too. Come, you should meet them," Laura turned to call to the kids. "Rocco, Charlotte. Come meet your Uncle."

Feeling weary, Charlotte was the first to come to her grandmother's side. She wasn't too keen on meeting any more Uncles. She didn't like Spencer's father because he had lied to her and stole her home. She knew that this Uncle was Aiden's father and she didn't know what she was going to lose now because of him. At least grandmother seemed more relaxed and happy to see this Uncle, unlike Uncle Nikolas. She seemed sad and disappointed when he was around.

Laura smiled, wrapping a secure arm around the girl, sensing her uneasiness. "Charlotte, this is your Uncle Lucky. He's Aiden's father."

"Hello, Charlotte. Your mom has probably ranted to you about me, huh?" Lucky chuckled, holding out a friendly hand to the girl.

"You're not going to try to be a secret bodyguard, are you?" Charlotte frowned, not sure if this Uncle could be trusted.

"I'm not too good at being a secret bodyguard. But if you should ever need my help with anything at all, it's yours. I can promise you that, and it doesn't even have to be a secret. Besides, the dark prince on the island isn't all that much of a bodyguard."

"Lucky," Laura's voice contained a warning. She shook her head. She sometimes forgot just how much like Luke Lucky could be.

"Sorry mom," Lucky blushed as her mother then placed a hand on Rocco's shoulder, who was the perfect mix of Lulu and Dante.

"This is Rocco," Laura introduced.

"Hello," Rocco greeted, before turning to Laura. "Can I go back to my game now?"

Both Laura and Lucky laughed.

"Okay, go ahead. Both of you. Dinner will be ready soon."

Quietly, the children went back to what they were doing, leaving Laura and Lucky to themselves.

"Come. We'll talk in the kitchen," Laura beckoned for her son to follow.

Lucky did as he was directed, closing his eyes and breathing in deep as the savory scent of cooking food hit him. It was the familiar childhood scent of home that sent him reeling back to his childhood, where life had been so simple. His father was the hero and his mother was the queen of the house and his job was to help his father protect his mother from the monsters of the outside world.

"So, how long have you been in town?" Laura sat at the kitchen table and motioned at the chair across from her for Lucky to sit.

"Not long. A couple of hours. I just walked around and reacquainted myself with Port Chuckles, as dad would call it," Lucky sighed, taking the seat. "I ran into Elizabeth and the boys at the docks. They were on their way to Kelly's."

"Really? How did it go?" Laura's face lit up in excitement. She more than anything wanted Lucky to reconnect and be a real father to the boys once again.

"It went good. Aiden was happy to see me. Jake smiled but wasn't hopping up and down with happiness. I take it that Jason's been a big part of his life now."

"He's really good with him and Jake adores him. It's good that Jason is taking a bigger role now. He was so happy when he came back to find Jake alive after all."

"I still don't understand who that other guy was that was with Elizabeth when we brought Jake to her."

"Drew Cain. Jason's twin brother. We all thought he was Jason until Jason returned from being held captive by Cesar Faison..."

Lucky frowned at that name. "That bastard is still alive?"

"Not anymore, thank god. May both him and Helena burn in hell," Laura took a deep breath, hoping that just mentioning the man won't bring back memories best not remembered. "Anyway, enough about that. How did it go with the boys?"

"Well, Elizabeth and I were cordial to each other and she invited me to dinner at Aiden's urging. Day after tomorrow.

"That's wonderful! That way, you'll get to know the boys and they'll get to know you again and you'll get to know Franco."

"Cameron didn't seem to happy to see me. Not that I can blame him. He probably hates me for my absence."

Laura gave her son's hand a sympathetic squeeze. "It's going to take time and work. Believe me, I know more than anyone what it's like to love a temperamental teenager."

Lucky's face grew red at that. "I'm sorry for the way I had treated you back then. You didn't deserve it."

"I understand. You had just found out something about your father that you couldn't deal with and it sent your world crashing down and you were acting out of pain and hurt. I understand and you're going to have to understand why Cameron may not be too receptive of you at the moment. He had adored you and in his eyes, you abandoned him. He was heartbroken. Just give him as much time and space as he needs. Let him see that you're home for good, not just for Aiden, but for him and Jake as well. If he needs to punish you, take it. Just like Luke took yours."

"Until he had kidnapped me and dragged me to that cabin," Lucky snorted at the memory.

Laura just rolled her eyes. "Your father is insane. I'm hoping that my genes have tempered that and you'll have more sense."

"Don't worry, mom. I have no plans to kidnap anyone. I think the kid has had enough of that. I just...I hope I can make him understand why I had stayed away….not that I understand it myself. I never thought I'd be that guy who took off on his kids...but I am..."

"Lucky, I never believed it was like that. I see how much you love those kids. I don't understand why you felt that you couldn't be part of their lives, but I did see how making that decision had hurt you. I'm just glad that you've realized how wrong you were before it's too late. Don't worry about Cameron. He's a good kid. He'll come around. Really, he reminds me so much of you when you were that age...before the fire," Laura took a deep breath, not liking where that thought was taking her, because every time she went down that path, she would think of how much better Lucky's life would have been if Helena had just left him alone. There was no point in going down that path, at least not anymore. Helena was gone, her family was safe, and they had to concentrate on the future that is, not the past that could have been.

"I hope his life is a lot better than mine. I hope all of the dreams he has will come true for him. I really do. Thankfully, Helena Cassadine and Cesar Faison are dead. They can't hurt any of us anymore."

"Speaking of the Cassadines..."

"Oh yeah. I saw Nikolas before I came here. I just needed to see him with my own eyes."

"What do you make of him?"

Lucky sighed and looked down at his hands, not sure how to explain his impressions to his mother. "Mom...you have to understand...Nikolas always had that darkness in him. He's the son of Stavros Cassadine. Of course, it's going to be there. But he has your light too. It's always been a struggle in him, from the moment he was born. Life for Nikolas, it's been far from easy. On one side, there was Stephan and Helena. On the other, there were the rest of us. Then there's Emily...she was the world to Nikolas. When she died...it took a lot of the fight out of him. You understand?"

"He stopped caring..."

"No. It's not that he stopped caring. It was just easier to give in to the darkness at times. It's the love of family and friends that keep him from giving up altogether, though. At least that's what I believe. I think...no matter how Cassadine Nikolas may get, the love he has for you and his siblings and son will pull him back. He may act like a Cassadine at times, but the Nikolas we all know and love is still there. We just need to remember that and remind him of that as well."

Laura's smile was warm and loving as she gripped Lucky's hand. People usually say that Lucky was Luke all over again, but she saw more of herself in her youngest son than of his father and his words just proved that. "I am so glad that you're home Lucky."

Basking in his mother's presence, Lucky silently admitted that he was glad to be home as well.


	5. Chapter 5

Laura glanced at the clock, noting that it was almost time for Lulu to come pick up the children. She had assigned Lucky to the guestroom, where he'll stay until he found a place of his own. She smiled, thinking about how long it's been since she had her youngest son sleeping under the same roof as her. It felt good to have him home. Now she can finally relax, now that all of her children were in arms reach.

"Mom! Are you here?! I've come to pick up the kids!" Lulu announced as she entered the house. Laura smiled again as she heard her grandchildren excitedly greet their mother.

Laura entered the living room just in time to see both Rocco and Charlotte hugging their mother while talking at the same time.

"Everyone, calm down. One at a time. I can't understand with both of you talking," Lulu laughed.

"We met our uncle today, mommy!" Charlotte announced, making sure that she shared the news before Rocco had the chance.

Lulu frowned at this news. She had given up ever hearing from Lucky again, so she assumed that the uncle Charlotte was talking about was Nikolas, which did not make her happy in the least. She didn't know if she'll ever be able to forgive Nikolas for putting her daughter in danger. She looked at her mother almost accusingly. "Nikolas is here?"

"Lulu?"

Lulu's eyes widened when she followed the voice to the top of the stairs to see Lucky standing there, looking almost sheepish. As if he was caught doing something he wasn't supposed to be doing but was hoping for forgiveness anyway.

"Lucky? You're actually back?" Lulu blinked in surprise.

"Yeah. It looks like I am."

Lulu frowned, remembering the few times that Lucky had returned just to leave just as quickly. "For how long? One hour? Two?"

Lucky winced, remembering those quick drop-ins. "How about longer than that?"

"A full day?" Lulu folded her arms.

"How about longer than that...say I'm back for good," Lucky shrugged, hesitantly walking down the stairs to approach his sister, who was openly glaring at him now.

"Really? So you finally decided to come back and be a father to the kids you abandoned."

"Lulu!" Laura gasped.

"No, mom! He needs to hear this! We're all on Nikolas's case about how he had left Spencer to think him dead! Well, Lucky has done worse, after years of giving dad up the road about his treatment of us! What a hypocrite!"

"Look, I know that I don't have a good explanation for my absence, and yeah. I am a hypocrite. But I understand dad now and...I just wasn't able to be what the boys needed me to be, Lulu. I can't make you understand, I won't even try. But I'm here now and I'm not going anywhere."

"Well. I should hope not. Mom has been doing her best to make up for your absence and..."

"Lulu!" Laura again scolded her daughter. "I think that is enough."

"I'm just saying," Lulu sighed, annoyed that her mother was defending Lucky, even though he had admitted that she was right. Feeling her initial annoyance melt, she rolled her eyes and wrapped her arms around her brother in a tight hug. "It is good to have you home. Now you can give Nikolas the kick in the pants he needs."

Lucky laughed, relieved that his sister's anger seemed to be short-lived. "I've already done that. I paid the dark prince a visit before I came here."

"Good. You're probably the only person that can get through that hard Cassadine head of his!"

"I don't know. You get to him more than I ever could at times. Which is why I'm kind of surprised that you two aren't getting along right now."

"You do know what he did to my daughter, don't you?" Lulu pursed her lips, taken aback that Lucky would defend Nikolas.

"I know and I didn't say that you didn't have a right to be angry. You do. Heck, I was pissed at him myself. But...Nik wasn't brought up the way we were. He didn't have mom to soften that Cassadine part of him. He was pretty much exposed to Helena and Stefan full time. He's not always going to get why something is not a good idea when it comes to family because that family has turned stabbing each other in the back into an art form. But he is sorry. He agrees that he had messed up and maybe...maybe you can just...inch your way to forgiveness. I'm not saying to forgive him right now...just...someday?"

Lulu sighed and glanced over at Charlotte, remembering the first time she had laid eyes on the little girl. She had never really fully realized the bond that her mother had always talked about until she had met Charlotte and just knew that she was hers.

"She's the baby I never thought I'd have and she's perfect and...it had hurt to know that Nikolas didn't protect her in a way I had once thought he would..."

"I know..."

"I don't trust him, Lucky. Not anymore. He's going to have to earn that back. But...I'm willing to give him that chance. Just like I hope Elizabeth will give you the chance to prove yourself when it comes to the boys. Especially Aiden."

"Well, I have been invited to dinner. That's a good sign."

"Darn right it is! I'm sure that everything will go great. Just show Liz and the boys that you're not going anywhere this time. You'll be there for them, just as much as Franco is!"

"Franco...I'm still not too sure about that guy..."

"Franco is great. The boys love him and so does Liz. I think it's best you accept that right now if you want any headway with the kids," Laura warned, wanting to smooth out any wrinkles if there were any. "I'm sure that the two of you will get along great."

"I'm not bashing the guy or anything. I'm just...I don't know. Don't get me wrong. I'm glad that Elizabeth has moved on and has given up the idea of me and her ever getting back together and that the boys had a father figure in their lives, despite my absence. I'm grateful for that really. I guess it's just the Luke part of me that doesn't fully trust the guy. I mean, he was still the serial killer that kidnapped my son when I had left Port Charles. But Aiden adores him and he didn't look all that sinister when I saw them at the docks."

"He's not. In fact, he helped capture Ryan Chamberlain and...well that's a long story that I will tell you some other time. I have to get the kids home. The last thing I need is Valentin accusing me of not providing Charlotte with a proper meal and bedtime," Lulu stepped in for another hug, all annoyance gone. "Welcome home, Lucky. I'm glad that one of my two sane brothers is home. Now all I need is to lure Ethan back."

Lucky laughed as he pulled away. "Don't hold your breath about that one. He has so many warrants out on him right now, it's not funny. I told him to just turn himself in and serve his time to get it over with, but he enjoys the chase too much. He's more like dad than he'll ever admit."

"Too bad. The three of us were a great team."

"Yeah. We were, huh?" Lucky's smile was sad, remembering how Ethan had come into their lives and how easy it was to accept him. He agreed with Lulu. It would be great if Ethan was able to come back, but for now, it wasn't really a possibility.

"Well, I have to go. But we are going to get together soon and do some real catching up. I have so much to tell you and...I'm glad that you're home."

"I know. I've missed a lot. I'm glad to be home to catch up on everything too."

"Say goodbye to your Uncle Lucky," Lulu began to gather her children, ready to leave.

"Good-bye, Uncle Lucky!" Both kids waved.

Lucky laughed and waved goodbye as Lulu ushered them out of the door. Now alone with his mother, Lucky took a deep breath, relieved that now everyone in his family knew that he was back. Now it was about how to move ahead.

"Lulu's happy that you're home and so am I," Laura smiled, watching her son as he processed everything.

"It's hard to believe. She's a mom. I mean, it felt like yesterday when I held her in my arms and promised to look after her...a promise that I've broken again and again..."

"It's hard for me too, after all, I've missed out of all your lives. All three of you are parents to beautiful children. I am so proud."

"How can you be so proud of me, mom? I mean...I avoided my responsibilities as a father. Lulu was right and even though I appreciate you for stepping in the way you have...you shouldn't have had to. I should have ignored my insecurities and stayed..."

"Lucky, listen. Take it from someone whose own mental health had caused her to miss her daughter's childhood, blaming yourself is not going to help or change anything. You're here now and that's what matters. The boys may be wary at first, but show them that you're not going anywhere and keep at it. Let them see that you're going nowhere. Starting with that dinner Elizbeth had invited you to."

"About that," Lucky cleared his throat. He had given it some thought and he realized that he was terrified. What was expected of him? What could he say or do to show the boys that he was serious?

"What is it?"

"How about you come with me? I mean...the boys know and love you. You know Franco and...well there's strength in numbers."

Laura sighed, not sure how to answer. A part of her wanted to go and hold her son's hand through any and everything. But she also knew that her children were adults and there were things that they were going to have to do on their own. "Lucky...I don't know how my presence will help."

"Well, they trust you, right? Maybe if they see that you believe me when I say that I'm here for good, they'll be more likely to believe it as well..."

"I doubt very much that I could have such an influence, especially in this situation...but maybe you're right. A buffer is needed. But I'm only coming for the meal, Lucky. I'm not going to sit there and try to convince anyone of anything. Is that clear?"

Lucky's smile lit up his face as he hugged his mother, thankful to her for everything.


	6. Chapter 6

Dinner at Kelly's was eaten in silence. No one wanted to talk about Lucky's reappearance into their lives. Cameron was especially silent as he seemingly concentrated on his cheeseburger and fries. Elizabeth eyed both Jake and Aiden, trying to gauge their emotions. Both boys seemed to be in a good mood. It was only Cameron who seemed moody. Finally having enough of the silence, she decided to be the one to break it.

"So. What is on your minds? I mean, we all had a shock tonight. Lucky is back," She glanced at Cameron who seemed to be ignoring her. "Cam?"

"What do you want me to say? He hasn't been my dad for years. It's a little too late now. Besides, I have Franco. I don't need Lucky anymore. But good for Jake and Aiden," Cameron sighed, not looking up from his plate. "Now they both have their dads."

Elizabeth winced, even though she wasn't surprised by Cameron's attitude. He had taken Lucky's absence from their lives hard. After all, he had memories of Lucky, when Lucky had been around and was a father to him. For a good amount of Cam's life, Lucky had been the only father he had known and he had been devastated when it became clear that Lucky was not going to return to their family. He had even blamed her for a little while. It did not surprise her that out of all the boys, Cam was the most hurt.

"Hey, I'm sure he'll be here for you, too," Franco spoke up, not knowing how to react himself. He had been touched when the boys had accepted him as a father figure in their lives. Now it looked like he was going to have to share the boys and he didn't really look forward to that since he already had a bad relationship with Jason. He didn't even want to think what Lucky may think of him. So far, the man had made no objections to his presence in Aiden's life.

"He wasn't here for me all this time. Why should I care if he's here now? I'm happy that Aiden gets his bio dad here, just like Jake has his. But I'm not deluding myself in thinking that I matter to the man. I didn't matter for him enough for him to stay."

Elizabeth sighed, feeling bad for Cameron. She knew that her son had carried a lot of hurt over Lucky's disappearance from their lives. "Cam, you had nothing to do with why Lucky had left. I don't really understand his reasons for staying away, but I do know that it wasn't because of you. He loved you. He loved all of you boys."

"Whatever," Cameron sighed, looking over towards the register, where he spotted his friend Trina picking up an order. "There's Trina. I'm going to go say hi."

"Cameron!" Elizabeth tried to stop him, but Franco's hand against hers stopped her.

"Let him go. The kid has a lot to process."

"I just...I don't want him to go through what Lucky went through when we were teenagers."

Franco arched a brow. "What?"

"We'll talk about it later. It's just…when Lucky and I met, he and his father had a falling out and he ran away from home. It was painful to see and I just don't want Cam to go through that with Lucky or you for that matter."

"He won't. He has me and he always will. I'm not going anywhere. I also have faith. The kid is angry and he has a right to that anger. But if Lucky is serious about making things right with the boys, he'll prove it, and eventually, Cam will come around. He did for me, remember?"

Elizabeth simply nodded, drawing comfort from Franco's words.

"I'm glad that Lucky's back," Jake smiled, looking up from his bowl of chili. "Now we have three dads."

"He has a point," Franco chuckled, his eyes drifting over to Cameron who seemed to be deep in conversation with Trina. He felt for the kid. He had been through so much in such a short amount of time. So much more than any teenager should have to go through.

"Mommy, can I cook that night? I can make brownies! Daddy told me that brownies used to be his favorite food!" Aiden grinned, already looking forward to having Lucky over.

"We'll see," Elizabeth gave a tight smile, remembering how brownies had once been the only thing she knew how to cook without burning. Thank goodness that her cooking skills had grown since then. She followed Franco's gaze over to Cameron and sighed again. "I hope you're right. I don't want Cam sleeping in any boxcars."

"Huh?" Franco frowned.

"Long story," Elizabeth rolled her eyes, turning her attention back to her salad. "Enough about Lucky's return. Jake and Aiden, how's school? Your teacher says that your report cards should be out soon."

In the meantime, Cameron stood at the counter with Trina, relieved for the chance to break away from his family and the discussion about Lucky Spencer's return. He knew that his mother was just concerned, but he couldn't deal with that concern right now. He just felt too...angry. He was glad Trina had shown up. Talking to his friend always made him feel better, or at least forget about whatever was bothering him for a while.

"Trina, hey," He greeted, coming to take the seat next to her as she waited for her order.

"Hey, what's up? I didn't know that you were going to be here," Trina smiled.

"Yeah, mother thought a family dinner out would be a great idea," Cameron snorted.

Trina frowned, sensing that something wasn't right with her friend. She was usually good at reading people and right now, Cameron's greeting seemed to be a cry for help or an escape. "Hey, are you alright? Is your mother hovering too much? Let me tell you, mine is. I just now had to text her to let her know I arrived in one piece. Not that I can blame her I guess."

"She's okay. She's not being a helicopter mom too much. But she's making me go to counseling. Which I guess helps," Cameron shrugged, inwardly cursing Trina's ability to read through whatever mask he tried to hide behind. It was always useless with her.

"Okay, so it's not your mom, so tell me why are you over here with me and not with your family?"

Cameron rolled his eyes. He should have known he couldn't trick Trina. Her perceptiveness was one of the things he really liked about her. Not to mention that she was smart, funny, kind, and always there for him when he needed a friend. It also didn't hurt that she was beautiful. "I should have known I couldn't get over on you."

"That's right. So open up, Webber. What's going on with you today?"

"My dad came back."

Trina frowned. She remembered talking to Cam and him telling her about his father Zander and why Franco meant so much to him. "Um...I thought your father was dead?"

Cam sighed and shook his head. "No. Not Zander. I never even knew him. I'm talking about the one I do remember. The one before Franco. Aiden's biological dad. Lucky Spencer."

"Mayor Collin's son? Wow, she has family coming out of the woodwork, doesn't she?"

Cam simply chuckled and shrugged. "I guess."

"So...let me guess. You're not happy to see him?"

"I don't see why I should be. He walked out on us! He left us! I remember him...he was a great dad...but then he wasn't there anymore. He was gone and...I had even blamed my mom for a while. But it wasn't mom's fault. She didn't tell him to stay away, he did that on his own!"

"Did he say why he left?"

"Does it matter?"

"Maybe. I don't know. It obviously does to you or you wouldn't be so angry."

"It doesn't. I mean, I have Franco. He's all the father I need. I'm happy for Aiden and Jake even. They may need him, but I don't anymore. I would have been happy if he never came back at all."

Looking at Cameron, Trina could tell that he didn't mean it. He was obviously hurt. She wished that she could do something to make the hurt and anger go away, but she was having a hard enough time getting over her own father's death. "I'm so sorry, Cam."

"Why?"

"Because I see that you're hurting. You may not want to admit it, but you are."

"Don't be sorry. I'm fine. I just don't want him to think that he could just show up and expect me to welcome him with open arms."

"Well, I'm here if you ever need a listening ear."

"You have enough to deal with Trina. You don't need my baggage along with the grief of losing your father..."

"Hey, I'm not being totally selfless here. By listening to your problems, it's taking my mind off of losing my father. So it's a win win situation here," Trina grinned. Her smile widened as a genuine smile appeared on Cam.

"Well, in that case, I'll take you up on that offer some day."

Standing there with what he considered to be one of his best friends, Cameron admitted to himself that just as long as Trina smiled at him the way she was doing, Lucky Spencer's return simply wouldn't affect him.


	7. Chapter 7

As soon as they got home from Kelly's, Elizabeth sent the boys to their separate corners. She had noticed that Franco hadn't said much since the discovery of Lucky's return to Port Charles. Of course, there were small reassurances where the children were concerned, but other than that, he hadn't said a word, leaving Elizabeth to speculate on what must be going through his mind right now. It was as they left Kelly's when she decided to get Franco alone and have a much-needed discussion. He had to know that Lucky's return didn't mean that anything was going to change where she and the boys were concerned.

Franco was now in the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of beer out of the fridge when he turned to find Elizabeth in the doorway giving him a nervous smile.

"Hey," He greeted, twisting off the bottle top and taking a gulp of the frothy liquid.

"Hey," Elizabeth entered the kitchen, deciding to just jump right on into the conversation. She didn't know why she felt so nervous. It wasn't like there was anything to hide. It wasn't like she was harboring any more romantic feelings for Lucky, who had more than made it clear that it was over between them. She had accepted it and moved on and she just wanted Franco to know that too.

"Some night, huh?" Franco for his part didn't really feel threatened by Lucky's return. He didn't feel the same suspicion that he felt towards Nikolas Cassadine. Which in itself was strange, because everyone was always saying how Lucky Spencer was the love of Elizabeth's life, he was the one she could never fully let go of, no matter how toxic things got. But yet, she had cheated on Lucky with his brother and he had cheated on her as well from all he's heard. So their love couldn't be so eternal, right? He didn't know and he wasn't too keen on thinking too much about it. He just knew that he loved her and loved those boys and the life they've built together. He'd fight both Lucky and Nikolas to keep that life if he had to.

"Yeah. I definitely wasn't expecting to run into my ex on the docks this evening. First Nikolas shows up alive and well and now, Lucky's come home. You would think he would have let me know, or told Aiden he planned to come back."

"Maybe it was unexpected. After all, his brother just showed up alive. Maybe he needed to see it himself."

"Whatever," Elizabeth shrugged, not really wanting to discuss Lucky's reason for coming home. She took a seat at the kitchen table, looking at her husband with warmth and affection. She had once thought that she could have this comfortable...peaceful bliss with Lucky, but it had never happened. It astounded her that she was able to find all that she was looking for with Franco, especially with his past. She had never felt so...peaceful in her adult life when it came to the man she was with. She loved Franco with her whole heart and she was not going to let anything or anyone mess with that. Not Nikolas Cassadine, nor Lucky Spencer...not that he would. She was pretty sure that Lucky had no desire to try to rebuild something that had been wiped out a long time ago. She sat down at the kitchen table and motioned for Franco to sit across from her. "Do you need to talk?"

"Do you?"

Elizabeth blinked in surprise. "No. I mean...I'm fine. I was just thinking that perhaps you may need some reassurance. I mean, I don't want you to feel insecure or jealous. Lucky and I have been over for a good long time now. Believe me, I no longer have any interest in chasing after that man. I'm finally over him."

"Really? I mean...you two have been in each other's lives since you were kids. According to some, you two were considered soulmates."

Elizabeth sighed as she watched Franco take the seat across from her. Once upon a time, she had thought that Lucky was her soulmate. He had been her rock when she had been raped. There had been no one that she had trusted or even loved more. Once upon a time, she had thought there would never be anyone else but Lucky. He had been the one. Then Helena Cassadine decided to fake his death and when he was returned, he had changed. Things had never been the same since no matter how hard they had both tried to make it work.

"Lucky...he was my first love and I was his. When you're a teenager, things seem so simple and clear. But life changed for both of us. You know about Helena Cassadine kidnapping Lucky right? Brainwashing him against his parents and all of that?"

Franco nodded. "Scott told me some of it."

"After that whole ordeal, it was obvious that Lucky and I were no longer the same idealistic teenagers. I mean, we'd rebuild our friendship and it'd be great. We were friends. Such good friends that we'd begin to believe we could return to being more...just for it to turn toxic each and every time. Funny, it was Lucky who realized it first. That what we had as teenagers were gone for good. No matter how good of friends we were. We were great as friends, but as a couple...one of us would be bound to mess it up. Whether it was him or me. Last time, it was me...me and Nikolas. I am still ashamed of that. I knew how hard it was for them to bond as brothers...but I just couldn't resist sleeping with Nikolas. It was such a mess...you know most of it, I'm sure."

"Yeah. I also know that Nikolas was far from innocent in that situation. He still thinks he has that control over you. I see it every time I look at him..."

"I don't want Nikolas. Not anymore. Especially after what he did to Hayden and even then...I ruined the last chance I had with Lucky. We managed to remain friends, I guess, but that affair had caused more hurt than all the other times that we had imploded. Now, I'm finally happy. I finally have a life I love with the man I love. It's a good life for me and my boys and I'm not going to let Nikolas or even Lucky for that matter, get in the way of that."

.

"I'm glad to hear it. I love you too. I'd fight both of them if I had to. Maybe a nice duel where Nikolas is concerned," Franco smirked, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

Elizabeth laughed and shook her head. "That will not be necessary. I am so over Nikolas. I don't even know who he is anymore and I kind of don't want to know. It's sad really. He used to be so sweet."

"What about Lucky?"

Elizabeth sighed. "Look, my feelings on Lucky is...complicated. Which was a problem because I confused those feelings for...something they weren't, because if it was like the love I have for you...Nikolas would never have happened. Lucky had that right. But I do care about him, a lot. He...he was the one that had found me after my rape. He was my savior, my guardian...he was my first love. He taught me that love wasn't something I had to be scared of. It was something sweet and beautiful and I'll always be thankful for that. But what we had as teenagers...after all that had happened to us...it wasn't sustainable and no one ends up with their first loves anyway. I guess on some level, I'll always love Lucky. He was a big part of me putting my life back together after that awful night. But what we had...it's over. I've accepted it and I've moved on. I may love Lucky as a friend and the father of my kids, but I am head over heels in love with you as my husband and my best friend. You have nothing to worry about."

"I wasn't worried. I mean, about the kids, yeah. Especially, Cam. He's so angry and hurt, but I wasn't worried about you. I know you and your heart. I know that you believe in us and so do I and that's good enough for me. I don't need any reassurance where our marriage is concerned. As for Lucky, I have nothing against him. I hope he sticks around for the kid's sake. Aiden seems to adore him and I think Cam would like him to be around as well, he's just too angry and hurt to show it right now."

"Oh, Cam…he's so hurt...I'm worried."

"Don't be. He'll be fine. He'll just need to see for himself what Lucky's intentions are. His trust has been broken and now Lucky has to fix it. I can't do it for him and neither can you. All we can do is be here for the kid when he needs us."

Elizabeth felt the love she held for the man before her swell up in her chest. She reached over and took his hand. "You are so good to us. I don't know where the boys and I would be without you."

"I love you guys too. You guys...you made this life worth fighting for. You make me feel that my past truly doesn't matter. That I'm actually worth good things."

"It doesn't matter. You are worth good things. I know people are sick of me singing your praises about how much you've changed and how good you are to me and my boys, but it's the truth. You gave me something that I've been looking for all these years. Unconditional love and a safe, loving family."

Franco smiled as he got to his feet, keeping Elizabeth's hand in his. "It's getting late. The kids are off to dreamland. I think we should turn in too...maybe to sleep...or other activities..."

Elizabeth laughed as Franco arched a suggestive eyebrow. "Other activities sound good."

Laughing, the couple left the kitchen and retreated into their room, secure in the love and the life that they had built together. The past may have returned that night, but they were both certain that it wouldn't tear them apart.


End file.
